Reps adopt PIB report, pledge early third reading


Report of the Ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was on Thursday unanimously adopted, after about two decades of its sojourn in the National Assembly.

The 318-clause piece of legislation took members just barely 16 minutes to adopt without any objection.

Giving insights into the report before its adoption, Chairman of the committee and Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Tahir Monguno, said
Nigeria being a majorly oil dependent economy, “it therefore behoves on us, the 9th National Assembly to pass this bill, and write our names in gold”.

According to him, key recommendations as contained in GGM report was for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to be incorporated a limited liability company, and to bring the oil and gas sector to international best practices, and enhancing greater transparency.

Reacting to the successful adoption of the report, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila described the action as underscoring a big feat achieved by the House. “I want to commend the 74 wise men (members of the Ad hoc committee) for their commitment, their industry, the scholarship in producing this document”.

“This house will be remembered for a long time. In the next couple weeks, we are going for out summer break, so in the coming week, the electora amendment will follow suit. Irrespective of whatever of the divide we may belong, this house has one great. Thanks colleagues for the feat”, he said.

Addressing newsmen after adoption of the report, Monguno
Monguno recalled how for long, the PIB suffered in the hands of past assemblies of the apex legislature, noting that “this time, the 9th house has decided to take the bull by the horns. We passed it with the speed of light because of the urgency it required. Nigerian has lost a lot”.

Also offering his commendation, spokesman of the House, Benjamin Kalu described the outcome as “remarkable, something that calls for celebration. It was a joint effort. The bill has not come this far before..it was a work of a team spirit. If we delay this bill we underdevelop our nation”, adding that it was the hope of members that the bill will become an Act soon.

It is expected that a conference committee will be in place soon, to iron any area of differences between its version and that of its Senate counterpart, pursuant to its final passage.